US senator Dianne Feinstein from California dies at the age of 90

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein died Thursday evening at her home in Washington

The California Democrat was 90 years senior announced in February, he will not run for re-election in 2024.

“She leaves an undeniable and extraordinary legacy,” her chief of staff, James Sauls, said in a statement. “Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state.”

Feinstein last voted early Thursday, but missed the votes Later during the day. Her death was first reported by Punchbowl News.

According to White House pool reports, President Joe Biden said Feinstein “was a historic figure and a great friend.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, choking back tears, said the Senate was in mourning and praised Feinstein for her work as the longest-serving woman in the Senate.

“The mark of a leader is someone who devotes their entire spirit to a cause greater than themselves,” he said on the Senate floor. “Dianne Feinstein was all this and more — a friend, a hero to many, a leader who changed the character of the Senate and who changed the fabric of a nation, of America, for the better.”

Her death leaves Democrats’ slim majority in the Senate at 50 and, until her replacement is named, could make it more hard for the Biden administration to continue confirming federal judges. Feinstein served on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

As Congress tries to avert a looming partial government shutdown, two more Democratic senators – Tina Smith of Minnesota and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan – are self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. More than two dozen Senate Democrats called on Democrats this week Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey to resign following a federal indictment on bribery charges, although he said he would not step down.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of (*90*) said citizens and the Senate “remember Dianne’s dedicated public service.”

Feinstein was first elected to Congress in 1992. She was the first woman to chair the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. She also wrote the federal Assault Weapons Act of 1994, which temporarily led to a 10-year ban on the sale of certain types of semi-automatic weapons.

She returned to the Senate in May after a long-term illness with shingles and a wheelchair, amid calls from some Democrats for her to retire due to penniless health. She rejected this criticism. “I have returned to Washington and am ready to resume my duties in the Senate,” she said at the time.

Her successor will be selected by California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, in the 2024 election.

“She was a political giant whose tenacity was matched by her grace. “She broke barriers and glass ceilings, but she never lost faith in the spirit of political cooperation,” Newsom wrote on Xformerly Twitter.

Newsom promised that if he were to choose Feinstein’s successor, it would be a Black woman because there is currently no Black woman in the U.S. Senate. There are currently three House Democrats running for her seat: Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.

The House Rules Committee met Friday morning on a bill to temporarily fund the government to avoid a partial government shutdown. GOP Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma held a moment of silence for the California senator. Government funding will expire on Saturday at midnight.

The committee’s top Democrat, James McGovern of Massachusetts, praised Feinstein’s career, which began in the 1960s.

“She was a great leader, a great fighter for the rights of women and all people in this country,” he said.

Members of Congress were quick to take to social media to praise Feinstein for her work. Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee expressed their condolences on X, formerly Twitter.

“Senator Feinstein was a political pioneer with a historic career of public service,” Rubio wrote. “Intelligent, hard-working and always treating everyone with courtesy and respect.”

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who worked with Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee for years, praised her work as a member of the Senate Caucus on International Drug Control.

“During the time I was chairman of the judiciary and she was the top Democrat, we had a great working relationship,” he said in a statement. “She was a true public servant. Barbara and I send our condolences and prayers to the Feinstein family.”

Feinstein was also the first woman to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Today, the nation lost a giant in Senator Dianne Feinstein,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said in a statement. “At a time when only six women served on this board, Dianne fought fiercely for the issues she cared about and was unafraid to take on the tough fights, from standing up to the gun lobby to conducting groundbreaking surveillance of the CIA. At heart, Senator Feinstein was a caring and effective legislator. She rolled up her sleeves to get things done and always focused on how her work would improve the lives of Californians.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) called Feinstein “a true pioneer in American politics who has led on issues such as gun violence prevention and LGBTQ rights.”

Feinstein was the first woman chair of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman mayor of San Francisco, and the first woman elected to the Senate from California.

She became mayor of San Francisco after the assassination of Mayor George Moscone in 1978.

“She was a trailblazer and a strong and dignified leader,” said Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins. “Dianne was the longest-serving woman in Senate history, and her career was marked by many firsts.”

Senate Appropriations Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., noted that Feinstein’s last vote was to approve a key spending bill that would fund the government beyond Saturday’s midnight deadline.

“She voted to make sure our country continues to thrive and not shut down,” Murray said. “That was Dianne…she cared about her country.”